Vending-machine.



C(A. MELCHERT.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 191a.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET1 I/Vl/EN TOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 0).. WASHINGTON. D. c.

C. A. MELCHERT.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man MAY 2. 1913.

Patented Oct. '26, 1915.

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WITNESSES."

Arm/my C. A MELCHEHT.

VENDING MACHINE.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY2,1 913- Patented Oct. 26 1915 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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C. A. MELCHERT.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2. ms.

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CHARLE$ A. MELCHERT, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB, T0 AUTOFIATIC MACHINE MANUFACTURING- CO., OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

VENDING-MACHINE.

LIES-"7,792.

Application filed. May 2, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. MEL- Gimme, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. I

My invention relates to vending machines, and more particularly to a machine adapted for containing vendible articles, and for exposing such articles to a purchaser following the insertion of a proper coin, the principal object of the invention being to provide a vending machine having bins, or the like, for containing the vendible articles, and simple mechanism for normally retaining the bins closed and locked.

The preferred construction of the machine comprises a casing wherein one or more bins are pivotally mounted so that when unrestrained they may tip automatically to expose an article contained therein so that it may be removed by a purchaser, together with locking mechanism for normally retaining' the bins closed, but adapted for releasing actuation through the medium of'a com.

The preferred construction also comprises means for controlling the tripping mechanism so that an attendant may refill and reset the bins without having access to the drawer therein to which coins are delivered following their travel past the tripping mechanism.

The preferred form of the machine, and its details of structure, are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is a perspective view of a vending machine constructed according to my invention, showing one of the bins tipped so that its contained article may be removed by a purchaser. Fig. II is a rear perspective with the back plate removed, and apart of the end broken away to illustrate the in- Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Oct. 25, 1915.

Serial No. 764,987.

terior construction. Fig. III is a rear perspective of part of the machine taken from the end opposite that of Fig. II. Fig. IV is a detail perspective of one of the bins. Fig. V is a cross-section of the machine on a line running through one of the bins and showing the bin in locked position. Fig. VI is a similar view showing the bin tipped to expose its contents. Fig. VII is an interior perspective of one of the bins with the glass removed. Fig. VIII is detail perspective of one of the bin glasses in its frame.

The present machine is particularly adapted for use in hotels, or like places, where the machine may be mounted on the wall of a hall or a room so that guests may purchase toilet articles from the machine without the necessity of leaving their rooms or the hotel when such articles are required, and in order to conveniently mount the machine I provide same with a back board 1 which may be nailed or otherwise secured to the 'wall and is provided with upper screws 2 having heads 3 spaced from the front face of the board, and having lower threaded studs 4:.

The machine proper comprises a casing 5 which is preferably open at the back so that access mav be had freely to the interior parts, and is provided with upper co ner plates 6 and lower corner plates 7 the former being provided with apertures 8 hav ing upwardly directed slots 9, and the latter the back board.

The casing is preferably rectangular and provided with an opening 18 in its outer or front face which may be formed by stamping the material, of which the casing is formed, back into the interior to provide a flooring 14 which may comprise the lower. part of a housing within which the comback plate 16 which extends upwardly to the level of the flange and is then inclined forwardly and upwardly to the front of the casing in order to provide space for the rear upper corners of the bins when the latter are tipped andwith the flooring lL-liorming the housing for containing the bins.

Each of thebins 18, of which there may be as many as may be desired in each casing,

comprises a sheet metal receptacle of sufficient depth to fit snugly against the back of the housing and lie substantially flush with the front of the machine when in closed position, and has apertures 19 adjacent its lower rear corner through which a shaft 20 that is mountedron standards 21 at the inner corners of the housing projects.

When there are a number of bins in each machine the single shaft may project through the apertures in'all of the bins in order to facilitate the mounting and insure alinement of-the front faces of the bins.

It is apparent that by placing the pivotal mounting at its lower rear corner, the bin, unless restrained, will tip forwardly so that its open upper end 23 will be exposed so that anarticle carried therein maybe removed, and in orderto retain the bin in its upright or'closed position I provide same with the rearwardly facing latch tooth 24: which is adapted for projection through a I slot 25' in the back plate 16 and is adapted for locking engagement with the arm 26 of a bell'crank lever 27 1 r The lever 27 is pivotally mounted on a pin 28 carried by the back of the housing and has an arm 29 projected through. a slot 30 in a coin chute 31 which eXtends along the back of the housing and forwardly to a slot 32at the front of the machine over the bin' 18, a spring 31which is mounted on the back plate engaging. the bell crank lever to yieldingly tension the arm 26 intothe chute 'to insure engagement therewith of a coin which may be dropped through the chute by a person wishing to purchase an article contained within the bin that is located below the slot 32, I

The spring-pressed lever arm 29 is adapted for supporting a coin so that when the latter is dropped through the chute .a further action must be'taken in order to trip the'bin, the tripping mechanism consisting of a shaft 35 which is revolublymounted in bearings 36 that project rearwardly from the back plate 16 and has both ends pro- "jected through the ends of the machine casing, and has an arm 87 adapted for projection into the slot 38 in the rear of each coin chute and adapted for engaging a coin which is supported on the lever arm 29.

the hub is turned by the hand lever 13, that is formed integral therewith, and the edges of the slot brought into contact with the pin 12.

The handle lever projects through a quad rant 14- on the end of the casing and is adapted for stopping engagement with the studs a5 that support the quadrant, so that the shaft may be turned through but a part of a revolution with each downward movement of the lever and against the tension of a spring 16, which is connected with a hub $7 on the shaft and with a hook 18 on the back of the housing, and which automatically returns the shaft to initial position after each tripping actuation of the hand lever.

The parts are so arranged that downward movement of the hand lever will push a coin downwardly in the chute sulliciently far to rock the bell crank lever so that the bin latch is released, and thereby releases the bin so that it may tip forwardly to expose its open upper end, the movement of the hand lever being stopped, however, before the coin has been pushed past the lever arm 29 and thereby enablingthe lever arm 29 to retain the coin in the chute. This combination makes it impossible for an empty bin to be reset except by further positive actuation of the crank shaft, as the coin holds the bell crank lever out of the path of the bin latch, so

that should the bin be pushed back into the housing the latch will not catch and the bin will immediately fall back into open position. This provision is made in order to obviate closing of a bin before it has been refilled by an attendant.

In order to reset a bin which has been tripped, as described, the shaft 35 is turned by a knob 50 which is carried on the end of the shaft opposite the handle lever, revolution of the knob causing the shaft to turn alone until the pin 42 has passed through cause the arm 37 to push the coin past the bell crank lever arm so that it may drop into a tray 51 which is located in the bottom of I the casing.

After actuation of the shaft through the knob 50 the parts are returned to initial position, so that when the bin is again closed its latch will pass through the slot, trip the bell crank lever and catch thereagainst when the lever moves back to its closing position under tension of the spring 34.

The tray 51 is located below the floor of the housing and covers practically the entire bottom of the casing, so that coins dropped from any of the chutes will fall thereinto, being supported on the bottom of the casing and adapted for removal through a slot 52 at the front thereof. The tray is provided with a laterally'projecting strap 54: near each end for spacing it from the end walls of the casing and serving as a stop when the tray isopened in order to prevent complete removal of the tray from the casing, and is also provided with a lock 55 so that only an authorized person may have access thereto.

Each bin is preferably provided with a front face 56 having a lower part stamped backwardly and provided with open edges 57 so that a card 58 may be placed therein. to designate the contents of the bin. The upper part of the front face of the bin having an opening 59 over which a glass, or like, panel, 60 may be placed, the preferred construction of the panel and bin comprising a panel frame 61 having a depending spring shank 62 having a lip 63 adapted to spring back of a hook 64: on the lower portion of the front face, the sides of the bin having lips 65 stamped therefrom and spaced from the front of the bin, so that the panel may slide between the lips and the front face.

With this construction the glass panel may he slipped into the bin from the open mouth and locked in place by engagement of the spring hook on the panel with the stamped out hook on the lower portion of the front face of the bin.

In using the machine, presuming the parts to be constructed and assembled as described, and the casing mounted on the back plate, which has been previously fixed to the wall of a room, should a purchaser desire an article contained in one of the bins, he inserts the proper coin through the slot directly over the bin containing the desired article, and after the coin has dropped into place lowers the handle lever to operate the trip mechanism. When the handle lever is lowered its hub contacts the pin on the shaft 35 and the shaft is revolved so that the arms 37 thereon are carried forwardly and downwardly into the slots in the rear portions of the coin chutes. The arm entering the chute containing the coin engages the upper edge of the coin and forces'the same downwardly against the lower arm of the bell crank lever, so that the upper arm of the lever is moved laterally out of contact with the latch tooth of the bin containing the article returning the hand lever and shaft to normal position after each individual actuation. As soon as an attendant notices that one or more of the bins has been emptied he refills the bin and turns the shaft by a knob 50 so as to eject the coin and release the holding lever, so that it may again cooperate with the bin latch to hold the bin closed, the attendant who refills the bins not necessarily having access to the coin tray, as all of the bins may be reset without requiring access to the interior of the machine. At intervals a collector may remove coins from the receiving tray, such intervals, however, not being dependent upon the sales of the apparatus, as the sales may be continued indefinitely irrespective of the coin collection.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a latching device for a movable member, a tooth on said movable member, a spring operated crank lever having one arm for engaging said tooth and another arm adapted to be engaged by a check, manually operable means having a push member, said means constructed to impart a limited movement to said push member for forcing the check against said second arm to move said lever, thereby releasing said movable member, and other means for imparting extended movement to said push member for releasing the check.

2. A latching device for a movable member, a tooth on said member, a spring actuated crank lever having one arm for engaging said tooth to lock said member and another arm adapted to be engaged by a check, a manually operable shaft having an arm for forcing the check against said second arm to release said tooth, and a secondary operating member secured to said shaft for moving said shaft and arm to release the check and thereby permit said lever to return to locking position.

3. A latching device for a movable member, a tooth on said movable member, said latching device comprising a crank lever having one arm for engaging said tooth and another arm adapted to be engaged by a check and a manually operable revoluble shaft-provided with a push member for forcing the check against said second arm to move said lever and thereby release said movable member, said shaftvhaving a secondary movement for releasing the check to permit said lever to return to latching position." f a a 4'. A latchingdevice fora movable memher, a tooth on said member, said latching device comprising a lever having one arm for engaging said tooth to lock said member and another arm adapted to be engaged by a check, a spring for holding said lever in engaging position, a manually operable shaft provided With an armfor forcing the check against said second armto release said tooth, and a secondary operating member for impartlng a secondary movement to said shaft and arm to release the check andthereby permit said lever to return to looking position.

5. A latching device for a movable member comprising a tooth on said member, a crank lever having'one'arm for engaging said tooth to lock said member andv another arm adapted to be engagedby a check, a

.the shaft projected into the hub slot, a

handle on said hub for imparting initial movement to said shaft, means for limiting the movement of the handle and a second handle fixed directly to the shaft, whereby the shaft may be revolved following the engagement of said handle With said means for limiting its movement.

In testlmony whereof I aflix my signature 111 presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES A. MELCHERT.

Witnesses ARTHUR U. CArs, LETA E. CoA'rs.

Copies ofthis patent may he obtained for fi've cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

